Brassiere



J. D. WARK BRASSIERE Sept. 10, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1966FIG.

JOHN P. CHANDLER ms ATTORNEY.

Sept. 10', 1968 Filed Aug. 23 19 J. 0. WARK BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

JOHN D. WARK JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent "ice 3,400,720 BRASSIERE John D. Wark, 326 W. LenaAve., Freeport, N.Y. 11520 Filed Aug. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 575,222

8 Claims. (Cl. 128485) This invention relates to an improved design ofbrassieres wherein the principal object is to distribute, as equally aspossible, the weight of the breast between the shoulder straps and therib cage support band. Another object of the invention is to providesupport for the breasts in the most natural form so as to cause nodistortion through unnatural pressure angles and also provide improvedcup support and weight distribution in the cup structure.

The improved brassiere of the present invention includes a bodyencircling band for the breast section and two breast cups of specialconfiguration and having upper and lower sections of different contour.The upper breast section is considered to be a frustum of a cone and thelower portion as about one quarter of a sphere. The pattern for thisnovel structure is developed by dividing the surface of this form intoangular segments which favor the support angle required to resistdistortion. This arrangement avoids the pressures caused 'byconventional cups of conical configuration.

The structure of the breast cups, which is one of the important aspectsofthe invention, comprises essentially a plurality of crescent shapedblanks arranged in superimposed relation with their adjoining curvededges stitched together from end to end and the opposed terminals ofeach blank or segment continuing upwardly and being joined together withthe upper end of the cup. These segments are preferably crescent shapedwith convex and concave edges wherein the next upper segment is asection of a circle of smaller diameter but where the adjoining edges ofeach piece being of substantially the same length so as not to requireany progressive pulling of one edge relative to a shorter edge.

In some instances, the segments may be of substantially the same widththroughout their length, thus slightly departing from the true crescentshape. When all segments are stitched together, a structural form ofunusual configuration is effected. Weight is divided between theshoulder strap support and the fixed attachment to the rib cage band.Additional features to relieve pressure points may be incorporated inthe chest band and/or the shoulder straps.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved supportingband for a brassiere which avoids the action of the band in ridingupwardly when the wearer leans over or is engaged in actionablepursuits.

In the drawing: I

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the brassiere; of thepresent invention in place upon the wearer;

FIG. 2 is a similar elevation but taken more to the side;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the several blanks or segments used in formingthe breast cup;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the relation between thesegments prior to stitching;

FIG. 5 is a similar view but showing a modification in the shape of thesegments;

FIG. 6 shows the improved configuration at the rear of the brassiere.

A rib cage band 10 forming the body section of the garment is adapted toencircle the thoraxic area of the body of the wearer and it may beformed in two sections joined together at the front by zig-zag stitching11 and the band may extend around the back of the wearer where Cir I3,400,720 Patented Sept. 10, 1968 its two opposed ends are detachablysecured together in the usual manner. By providing this front stitching,a measure of resilience between the opposed sides is assured. This givesa certain vertical freedom including independent action, when raisingone arm of the wearer. A similar result would be achieved if an elasticinsert were provided at the front center of the band.

Each section has a breast cup 12 which is secured along its curved lowerand side edges to an arcuate edge 14 extending about two-thirds of afull circle from a point 16 near the front center of the body section ofthe garment, to a point 17 at the upper side and adjacent a shoulderstrap 18.

The breast cups are of special construction and there is shown in FIG. 2the several blanks which, when stitched together form a structurally andfunctionally improved cup. The blanks are indicated as 20, 21, 22 and 23and are of generally C shape each with opposed edges forming circles ofprogressively decreasing diameters and the lengths of the curved edgesin end blank successively decrease. The first blank has a centralsection 24, opposed terminal sections 26 and upper and lower edges 28and 29. The next blank 21 is of lesser length and the third blank 22 issimilarly shorter than blank 21. Blank 21 has upper and lower edges 30and 31 and the adjoining edges 28 and 31 of the two lower blanks formsegments of larger and smaller circles, respectively, but are ofsubstantially the same length so that when these edges are joinedtogether to form stitch line 32 there is no need for fulling one edgerelative to the other.

Uppermost blank 23 has one curved edge 34 and two substantially straightedges 36 extending divergingly upwardly from a median point 38. Theedges of the remaining blank-s are joined together to form curved stitchlines 39 and 40 and substantially straight stitch line 41, the ends ofstitch lines 32, 39 and 40 join each other in the upper section of thecup and the shoulder strap 18- is secured at this point.

It will be observed in FIG. 2 that the lower section 60 of each breastcup, when the garment is in position on the wearer, is substantially theshape of one quarter of a sphere while the upper section 61 is a portionof a cone which is the most natural of the young feminine forms.

A slight modification in the breast cup structure is shown in FIG. 5wherein the segments 64 and 65 are of substantially equal widththroughout their lengths and the innermost segment '66 is substantiallysimilar to segment 23 in FIG. 4. This arrangement is preferred forcertain breast oonfigunations although the upper section of the cup hasless of a conical contour.

FIG. 6 shows the improved shoulder strap arrangement at the rear of thegarment. The meeting rear sections 44 and 45 are joined together at 46by detachable fastener means and the lower ends 50 of the shoulderstraps 18 are secured at 52 at about the center of the rear section ofthe breast band. Short straps 55 of elastic or other stretchablematerial are secured at one end at 48 adjacent to the side of the bandand the other end at 55 to the shoulder straps to modify thestraight-line position. When the wearer leans over, the tension on theshoulder straps overcomes the tension provided by the elastic straps andthe shoulder straps then straighten up without pulling the rear sectionof the band upwardly. It will be appreciatecl that elastic section 55and lower shoulder strap section 50 may be reversed but the arrangementshown is most effective in preventing ride-up of the breast band due totension on the shoulder straps.

While there have been described herein what are at present consideredpreferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be madetherein without departing from the essence of the invention. It istherefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments areillustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which isdefined in the appended claims, and that all modifications that comewithin the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intendedto be included therein.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A brassiere comprising a rib cage band extending around the breastsection of the body of the wearer and joined together at the rear of thebody and having a pair of cut-out sections extending downwardly from theupper edge of the band and providing a pair of convexly curved edges, abreast cup in each cut-out section and joined to one of said convexedges, and a shoulder strap extending upwardly and rearwardly from thetop of each breast cup and secured thereto, each cup being formed from aplurality of curved segments, each convexly curved along its lower edgeand concavely curved along its upper edge, each adjoining pair of edgesbeing secured together from end to end, the edges of each successivesegment from the bottom upwardly forming arcs of progressively smallercircles.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said band is formed in twosections permanently joined together at the front and detachably joinedtogether at the rear.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein each of said adjoining pairsof edges which are secured together are of substantially the samelength.

4. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the convex and concave edgesof each segment form arcs of different circles.

5. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the convex and concave edgesof each segment form arcs of substantially the same circles.

6. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the upper edge of theuppermost segment is formed in two substantially straight sections whichare joined together to form an upper front vertical median line in eachcup.

7. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the shoulder straps at therear of the wearer are deflected from their straight line position byelastic strap extending from the back of the band to points on theshoulder strap midway up the back.

8. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the shoulder straps aresecured at the rear adjacent the center of the breast band and saidstraps are deflected from their straight line position by elastic strapsextending from the sides of the band to points midway up the back.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner.

1. A BRASSIERE COMPRISING A RIB CAGE BAND EXTENDING AROUND THE BREASTSECTION OF THE BODY OF THE WEARER AND JOINED TOGETHER AT THE REAR OF THEBODY AND HAVING A PAIR OF CUT-OUT SECTIONS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THEUPPER EDGE OF THE BAND AND PROVIDING A PAIR OF CONVEXLY CURVED EDGES, ABREAST CUP IN EACH CUT-OUT SECTION AND JOINED TO ONE OF SAID CONVEXEDGES, AND A SHOULDER STRAP EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FROM THETOP OF EACH BREAST CUP AND SECURED THERETO, EACH CUP BEING FORMED FROM APLURALITY OF CURVED SEGMENTS, EACH CONVEXLY CURVED ALONG ITS LOWER EDGEAND CONCAVELY CURVED ALONG ITS UPPER EDGE, EACH ADJOINING PAIR OF EDGESBEING SECURED TOGETHER FROM END TO END, THE EDGES OF EACH SUCCESSIVESEGMENT FROM THE BOTTOM UPWARDLY FORMING ARCS OF PROGRESSIVELY SMALLERCIRCLES.